Stones in the Sand
by Spotteh
Summary: Full moons had always been a symbol of new beginnings for the new Kazekage. But, what does fate have in store for Gaara when he visits Konoha for a week of meetings?
1. Ch1: Behind Door 1!

The night was a pleasant one- _'if not a bit cold'_ mused a veiled figure. He was conditioned for the harsh conditions of the desert- either scolding hot or frozen- the median of the two was against his norm and unsettled him. It was nothing he couldn't store away and forget. His aqua eyes traced upward, to the full moon hanging high in the sky. At the sight, mixed emotions raced through him- most distinctly regret and hope. He recalled his uncle, Yashamaru, used to exclaim happily at such a sight: _"Gaara, do you see that? Remember, full moons are the best time for fresh starts!" _

A low sigh passed the man's lips and, like he had done with the weather, pushed the memory away. 'Now is no time to get foolishly sentimental,' he chided himself. The wave of something he called " responsibility" ebbed away. He noticed a new chakara signature and turned to see a shinobi kneeling _respectfully_ at a _respectful_ distance; head bowed_ respectfully_, eyes _respectfully_ downcast. It made the other man sick- such respect was not deserved nor desired. Darkened eyes coolly glinting, the husky voice ripped through the night: "What?"

The tone must have paralyzed the fool with its undertow of malice. He faltered a moment before managing, "Sir Kazekage, Lady H-hokage will see you n-now."

His escort struggled to his feet and tottered toward the tower's door, all too aware of the Kazekage's eyes piercing his back. He knew how petrifying his bloodlust could be and smirked at its power. Before the terrified shinobi, likely a chunnin, could escape, the Kazekage called to him: "Bowing is a waste of energy. You should give it up."

The voice carried tones of power and authority. He knew it was a bit harsh but his previous musings had put him in a foul mood. Not to mention, he had enough of people groveling to him, not looking him in the eye, treating him differently than others.

Dispelling the thoughts, he pushed open the door indicated by the chunnin before his get-away. It was a council room filled by a long table. At the farthest end sat Konoha's Hokage, Tsuade, out of formal attire. The younger man simply removed his pointed hat with a brow raised- he'd never been a man of words.

Meanwhile, Tsunade grinned at the Kazekage, shaking a bottle of sake. "Gaara no Suna! Have a drink!"

She was smiling devilishly- a grin both charming and devious. She pushed a full cup at him as he sat down, still grinning that unnerving smile. She quickly emptied her glass, making Gaara wonder if she was really over 50 years old. Factually, it was believable, but the Sannin before him never showed her age by means of personality, actions or appearance. He swirled the cup, watching the sake shift.

"Kid, have you rested yet? It's bad luck to discuss vital matters before a nice rest."

Her serious inquiry elicited a negative response, and he was about to inform her that he was awake fully and unaffected, but a knock on the door interrupted him.

"I got a shinobi to be your host. Figured you be tired and I'll be damned if I let a Kage sleep in one of those swindling hotels!"

That foreboding grin was back. Gaara briefly wondered if it was her usual grin or one he should consider as a warning. It was their first meeting, but she didn't seem like the sort to pull something especially on an ally. But neither had Yashamaru… Her chuckle sliced through his thoughts.

"Come in!" she barked at the door.

The knob jiggled before revealing none other than an overjoyed black haired, bowl-cut, green-clad ninja in a salute. Gaara's new host was Rock Lee.

Gaara watched the shinobi gape; his eager face had fallen into a look of surprise, then horror, then solemn, then fear, then thoughtfulness. The Kazekage scanned his face, witnessing every emotion sprawl over the other's visage. Some nights, he would contemplate such emotional displays. He always concluded that he would never be able to understand how and why some ninja could broadcast their feelings so unashamedly. His own stoic expression was made permanent years ago. It simple fascinated him. Rock Lee's head bowed. His hair shaded his eyes. Gaara regarded it with a twinge of regret before shifting focus to the Hokage.

The Sannin shot back another shot of sake. She was still smirking slyly when she slammed the shot down. Gaara's eyes narrowed. She had planned this. Tsunade had been the one to heal Lee- surely she sympathized with her ninja. Lee was the last person Gaara wanted to see- and with the injuries Gaara had caused him, he believed the Leaf ninja shared the sentiment… That was long ago. He'd changed. He had the control now, not his bloodthirsty demon.

Still, now he was being tested- finally tried for his actions. Tsunade was ready to be the judge. He met her gaze- it held no malice, just the promise of justice lingered in the crystal depths. He nodded slightly, accepting her challenge.

'_Which_,' thought the boy with blood red hair, '_will I be? Human… or monster?_'

"Lee, be a good host! Make sure our guest rests well. Don't let him out of your sight until he leaves for Suna. Understood?" She smiled sweetly at the Leaf ninja, adding, "Have a nice stay, Kazekage. We'll meet tomorrow at noon. Goodnight!" One hand pouring sake, the other waving, she dismissed them.


	2. Ch2: Silence is Golden, or Torture

If any Suna citizen were asked, they would all say the thing Gaara appreciated the most was silence. Everyone had seen the Kazekage indulging in some form of quiet time. He loved the quiet before dawn, the silence after nightfall, the muteness after a sandstorm, the soundlessness of the council when he wordlessly asserted his authority. His _favorite_ silence followed the admittance of a someone's secret- like the obsession with being a boy Temari housed for years- to the last person he/she wanted to hear it- like Temari's boyfriend.

But this, _this_ was no silence. This was some ancient form of leaf shinobi torture. The infamously cruel Ibiki Morino would be proud—no, he'd ask for tips.

Gaara glanced at the green-suited guide. He remembered watching the rambunctious kid many times before their battle. The loud, excitable voice was gone; his determination, shrunk; his graceful movements, tense. The Kazekage considered how this could be the same shinobi he fought in the exams. Two years certainly allowed for some changes, but this metamorphosis was impossible. Besides, moments earlier he'd seen the same fire in Rock Lee's eyes- then watched it die out. It was… distressing… knowing how much power he still had over the boy. He vaguely noted that even with all his changes, he could never escape his past, nor could the few survivors he'd left in his wake.

He shook the thoughts away, twisting his path to follow Lee into an alleyway his he'd wordlessly turned down. He wished, not for the first time that night, that Naruto Uzumaki was his host instead. Though they appeared polar oppisites, the two got along quite well. His fellow demon carrier would surely entertain him on his stay, as well as fawn over the Kazekage title. He recalled hearing Naruto had gone off journeying with the Toad Sannin and was coming back in some unknown future. Tomorrow, he'd find out if the blonde had returned- if he was, Gaara would switch hosts instead of spending a week with this torturous silence.

Gaara wondered if he should speak. He wondered if he hummed a little- no, Gaara definitely did not hum. Maybe he should try to break the silence… Lee didn't seem interested in talking- in fact, Gaara's presence seemed to unnerve him deeply. He couldn't blame him if he was unsettled, nor if he hated Gaara. He had every right to, after what happened.

Should he apologize?

He had seen Rock Lee only once after the Chunnin exams. He had rescued Lee from a shinobi who could manipulate bones. Lee was drunk and barely coming to by the time he arrived to save him. '_Maybe "relieved" is a better word._' The ninja had died on his own from some illness. Before he began to fight, Lee gave him a thumb up, assuring him he never held grudges. At the time, though the source was a little off, Gaara had accepted it. Now, he believed it with a grain of sand- that is to say not a lot. The ninja was _drunk_, he had no idea what he was saying and who would bother forgiving someone who had almost killed them and, even worse, ended their desired career that they spent their whole life trying to prove they could be successful in? Nobody does that and he was obviously still scared of Gaara, even if the Kazekage had sworn off random and meaningless killings- not like he'd know that anyways. Gaara would tell him if he would just _talk_ to him. He needed to prove to his escort that he had changed and had only good intentions. He'd have to fix it or endure a horrible stay in Konoha. He inhaled slowly, drawing the time out.

His host stopped and was watching him while he was trying to discover what to do. The Sunian never even noticed they'd stopped. Gaara's eyes narrowed as he saw the Leaf ninja extend a hand, which hesitated at its owner's chest. The hand then began to slowly inch towards Gaara, who watched curiously and silently. With a flicking motion, the Kazekage's hat tumbled away. The hand hovered hesitatingly before tentatively touching the nose. It lingered a moment before trailing down the cheek, the chin, the neck- it rested on Gaara's chest. He stood frigid, beyond surprised, as the hand pressed harder. Gaara had no idea what the boy was doing- he didn't know whether to back away or if he should do something back or slap the hand away or hold it there or just stay still. So, he stood still with his heart hammering but his face an emotionless void.

When Lee finally moved away, Gaara inhaled deeply. His breaths had been shallow. He looked at his escort, who was smiling softly. There was a silence, but not an uncomfortable one this time. Gaara looked into Lee's eyes and knew: he was forgiven. Returning the smile with a barely noticeable upturn of the mouth, he felt relief flood him. But still, he was bothered. He spoke, his voice husky, "Why would you..?"

The question made Lee's smile bloom into a characteristic grin. His posture was confident and his eyes twinkled with fire as he answered: "Because you have a heart- I felt it beating myself!" He gave his companion a thumb up. "Forgiveness is the way of Konoha! I can never hate anyone for what happened in a fight!" His teeth gleamed in the moonlight. As the leaf ninja fished in his pockets for his keys, Gaara stared at the full moon. The orbed twinkled, promising an enjoyable stay.


	3. Ch3: Bedhead

Rock Lee happily gave the Suna ninja a tour of his modest home (one bathroom and one bedroom), exclaiming about certain youthful things. The Suna ninja recognized most would be annoyed at the loud and unneeded comments, but he didn't mind. His thoughts were still outside, trapped in a replay of earlier events.

Frankly, the Kazekage was shocked. Out of fear, no one ever touches him. His own family, who he had never harmed, tended to avoid touching him and ignore his feelings. Not that he could blame them. They all knew what he was capable of- but so did the curious host. He had almost killed Lee, whom he didn't know, simply to kill him. He was a witness to Gaara's former, detached cruelty. Still, he ventured to touch him.

It was intimate, the way his touch left a tingly-hot feeling trailing behind it and how it made a burst of mixed emotions explode inside and how the chilly air did not affect him and how he kinda wished time would stop and how the moonlight reflected off his skin and how good and gentle and soft it felt. Gaara cut the thoughts off. He inhaled. He ignored the waning heat trailing from his cheek to his chest.

Then he realized it. Gaara was happy. For once, someone had treated him without fear, treated him like a human being, treated him like he had feelings. A small smile etched itself on his face.

"You will sleep in my bed!" A thumbs-up shoved in the Kazekage's face followed the statement.

"No, you sleep in your bed." The request seemed weak. He was still working on asking instead of ordering, not that he had to _ask_ much anyways. He was Kazekage, so his word was law. Meanwhile, Lee vowed that his guest would sleep on the bed, or he would do a ridiculous amount of walking hand-stands.

"Please, I.. um, don't sleep… well." Gaara stated lamely. He wished the other would just shut up and sleep in his own bed. He never had his wish answered.

"We shall do one-handed push-ups until you tire! It is what Gai-sensei would say to do!" The speaker immediately dropped into the correct form and began, unfazed by his unmoving companion. The Kazekage counted silently as the body bobbed up and down- 148- up, down- 149- up down- 150- up, down. The arm holding Lee up crumbled, dropping his body on the floor with a _thud_.

Gaara stared; he was unable to believe his host just fallen asleep like that. _On the floor! _

It was going to be an interesting week.

With a silent sigh, the Sand ninja sent his sand to envelope the sleeping figure and had it gently lift him unto the bed. But, when the sand began to seep away, the boy murmured fitfully so Gaara feared waking him. Instead, he ordered the sand to cushion the leaf ninja.

The insomniac settled cross-legged into the nearby couch and observed the sleeping ninja. The light of the moon covered him with a silver aura. The beams caressed his calm face turning the tanned skin a glowing cream. He seemed to be some mystic being. There was something unreal about the way the black hair gleamed silkily- it could not have been human. He was relaxed in a serene expression- could this be the same bouncy ninja Gaara knew?

Gaara felt a ping of jealousy. He would never know such peace, never be well rested, never have a carefree moment, never understand those "dream" things. He would never stretch out on a bed with moonbeams brushing his face and illuminating his skin and hair. He'd spend his entire life watching other's take advantage of such a blessing. Sighing, he resigned the thoughts. He'd already accepted his fate long ago.

He shifted once more before drifting into a deep meditation.

Gaara jolted out of his meditation. Alerted, he scanned the area for some disturbance. There was a figure standing on the bed, thumbs up and green-clad. The Suna ninja relaxed- it was just Lee waking up in a characteristic manner. The faint sunlight hit him, revealing something that was definitely not normal.

"What a youthful morning!" The leaf ninja stretched, "I trust you are joyfully rested?"

Gaara barely nodded, his eyes glued to the imperfection. Obviously aware of the glance, Lee fidgeted. Gaara stared. An awkward silence eloped them. Lee checked himself over. Gaara stared. Lee checked himself again. Gaara stared some more.

"Uh, Gaara-san… is something wrong?" A rather Hinata-like Lee ventured, pulling Gaara out of his stupor.

"..Your hair. It's a mess." The leaf ninja was gone with a speed Gaara distinctly remembered. Casually, he lifted himself from the couch and followed the other. He leaned on the bathroom's doorframe with a faint hint of amusement on his face.

Lee whimpered and grunted as he wrestled (or tried to) a comb through a mess of knots and trapped sand. Already pieces of his bowl-cut hung freely and sand filtered from their prisons. Wild brown eyes found sea-foam ones through the mirror; Lee frowned at the bemused expression. He yanked the comb against a particularly stubborn tangle, wincing at the resulting _crackkkkk! _The leaf ninja stared dumbfounded at the half of a comb in his hand, then the other half nestled in his hair. The same eyes nearly bulged out of his head when he heard a small noise behind him. _Gaara had chuckled_!

Since the first sight of the black mess, the Kazekage had tried to swallow a weird, bubbling feeling. Despite the amusing reactions that strengthened the tickling, he'd stifled it well. But that look of utter surprise, mortification, and annoyance was so childish, so pure that he could fight it no longer. The small laugh exploded forth and rippled through him. He quickly decided that was his favorite expression he'd ever observed.

"Ah! The Fire of youth is alive in you!" So stricken by the display of youth, Lee forgot about his absurd updo to chatter about youthfulness. Gaara had meanwhile collected himself and summoned his sand back to him. As the sand nestled in Lee's hair escaped, they pulled the tangles effortlessly free. The half comb clunked as it bounced on the floor, capturing its owner's attention.

"All better Medusa." Gaara's even tone informed him. The leaf ninja was silent a moment, his head tilted in thought.

"Thank you, Gaara-san, but what is a Medusa?"

Gaara considered this a moment before explaining: "Medusa is a mythological creature from Greek beliefs. She had living snakes for her hair and was ugly-"

He was cut off as Lee threw a light punch that landed on his shoulder. Stumbling backwards, seafoam eyes narrowed angrily. As if hearing the unspoken question, Lee exclaimed: "Never ruin your youth with unyouthful words!"


	4. Ch4: Rivals

**Spotteh says: Thank you so much for your sweet comments **** I pride myself on (trying) to make my stories exciting whilst retaining proper grammar and some logical plotline. **

**On another note, I am so sorry for this chapter GaaraXXLee fans. I am not a big follower of the pair and I couldn't resist this idea. Even if I hate that pink-haired skank. **

"Ah! Gaara-san!" The sudden call broke the Kazekage's concentration on the scroll. All morning he had been reading about religions while his host did various workouts. Besides Lee's monotonous counting, neither had spoken for nearly two hours. He closed his scroll and silently faced Lee to show his attention.

"Gaara-san! I must meet Sakura-chan at the hospital! Surely she will be excited to see you!" The Suna shinobi highly doubted it- the last time the two had met, he'd threatened to crush her to death. Correction- he almost crushed her to death. Not everyone was as forgiving as his current company, he knew; still, Lee looked so excited to see his friend, Gaara didn't know how to say no. So, he nodded and followed the energetic boy calmly.

The trip was much less awkward than that of his arrival. Lee chatted incessantly, pausing to exchange greetings with people as they passed. Still, Gaara felt unnerved- his senses were on full alert and his sand shifted in his gourd. But he didn't know why. No one was glaring or threatening- in fact, most smiled and waved as he strode past. Kiba Inuzaka- one of the now famous Rookie 9- even joined their stroll. It wasn't until the dog-ninja stopped and sniffed the air that Gaara knew why his senses were on the fritz. Kiba grinned widely, nudging him a little, "Hey, you're quite _popular_." Gaara gave him a blank look. "Man, there are like…" he paused to sniff the breeze, "nine girls following you. That's almost as many as Sasuke has-er-_had_." He patted the Sand ninja in condolence before trotting off. His eyes widened as he realized what the Inuzaka had told him.

_Girls._ He was being unnerved because a pack of girls were following him. He was annoyed he hadn't noticed earlier. Come to think of it, that girl in blue did seem firmilar. And that really skinny girl. And the black haired one.

With a sinking feeling, Gaara realized he was being stalked. And it scared him more than anything else he'd ever faced.

During the walk, Gaara plotted in his head. Undoubtedly, some of the stalkers had to be civilians. If he attacked one, even in self-defense, it'd be a huge scandal. Suna would be targeted, his name soiled and everything he worked for destroyed. It might even start another war. Plus, Tsunade would kill him. Plan A- no go.

Plan B- he could cast a gen-jutsu on them, one that would make them see how scary he really was. They'd be terrified and leave him alone. Still, it was taboo to use jutsu on a civilian. Also, there were nine of them, which would be hard to maintain even for a gifted gen-jutsu master. Not to mention, he hated gen-jutsu. So, Plan B was out as well.

Maybe, he could make a clone and transport himself away. The clone would run off, thus leading the fangirls far away! But Lee may follow because he couldn't tell the difference, and then the Leaf ninja would fail his mission. Any ninja stalkers he had would probably see through the ploy anyways. They might just dispel it, or allow it to lead the others away. Either way, it would be a waste of chakra if he didn't get rid of all of them.

He could jump behind a building and use sexy-no-jutsu- no, he would never stoop that low.

'_What's the worst they could do?_' Gaara mused. They could charge him, pull him down and rip out his hair to use in freaky voodoo in the hopes he would love them; they could strip him naked and take turns playing out their kinky fantasies on him… If anyone rushed him, he'd attack. No amount of exile and shame equivocated to the possible outcomes of his capture.

He was broken from his thoughts when he almost ran into Lee, who had stopped to loudly (and unnecessarily) that they were at the hospital. Stopping was the last thing Gaara wanted to do. It was practically invited them to jump him. The normally stoic ninja shuffled his feet nervously. There was no escape from Kohona's crazy woman. No wonder Sasuke left…

"Sakura-chan!" Lee's voice boomed to the emerging pink-haired girl. She looked around a moment before catching the Kazekage's eye. Her own orbs twinkled mischievously as she bounced over to them.

"Gaara-kun!" She cooed, throwing her arms around his neck.** Not. Another. Fangirl**. For Shakaku's sake, he almost killed her! This was ridiculous! "Go along with it," she hissed warningly in his ear, probably having felt him tense up. He tried to relax as she slid her hands down his arms, interlacing their fingers. The oppressive shadow of being stalked almost suffocated Gaara. Sakura pulled a hand loose and ran a finger down Gaara's jawline in a sensual trail.

"It's been a whole month since…" she giggled naughtily, "_that time_ and I've been so _lonely_, Baby." She gave him a cute pout. "When are we gonna go out again. We are dating after all." She leaned up so their noses brushed, winking at him secretly. Gaara couldn't breathe. It wasn't like he was _attracted _or anything, he could just feel the murderous intent of nine stalkers on his back. Hopefully, they were aimed at Sakura and were not a 'if-I-can't-have-him-no-one-can' sort of glare.

His attention was pulled back to reality as the girl clinging to him leaned forward and gave him a delicate, lingering kiss. She tasted like cherry, which Gaara found quite fitting considering her name. The cloud hovering over the Kazekage began to dissipate- the stalkers were gone. No complications and no consequences.

Lee stared open-mouthed at the two. "YOU ARE MY RIVAL!" He shouted, pointing at the boy of the pair. _'…Ok, one consequence isn't bad_.' Sakura laughed as she stepped away.

"Lee, Gaara and I aren't dating. I did that to get rid of the stalkers.. Surely you do not think I would be so forward." She cracked her knuckles threateningly.

"Thank you…" Gaara managed to force out. He was still in shock. The plan was perfect; the exocution, flawless. Kohona's ninja were surely a force to be reckoned with.

"Sorry to disappoint you, Gaara, but I gave up the strong, silent types a while back." She winked.

"Ah, well, I'll cry later." He feebly joked back. His company laughed. "But, why?"

At that Sakura grinned- "Because fangirls are my rivals!"


End file.
